Top O’ the Mornin’ To Ya

Well, it’s allegedly the first day of spring, so therefore I’m writing my St. Patrick’s Day post. I probably won’t be writing a first day of spring post because spring doesn’t seem to want to happen here. The sun is technically out, but we’re still only reaching highs in the sweltering 40s.

Okay, so although I am not Irish and have no discernible heritage other than being a hillbilly from Ohio, I thought I’d honor the day in my own special way. Because I can! I found some cute fabrics, but not enough of my favorites to make one whole dress, so I broke it up. I looked through my pattern stash and chose New Look 6934 because it encourages contrast and was cute enough for a possible summer TNT–empire waist, cute length, sleeveless. The bodice is lined, which is nice. I think I graded up to an 18-20 like I did with the 6000, and it seemed to be fine. If anything a little gapey at the neckline, but no biggie.

I got a passable un-hemmed draft ready in time for a local St. Pat’s parade on March 10, and had a lovely time in my new creation. In this country you can rest assured that no matter how silly you feel, someone (probably someone also not Irish) will look even sillier, so really I didn’t stand out yet looked plenty festive. Luckily I had played with a go-to cardi pattern (Simplicity 2154) back in the fall, and made one in this chartreusey kinda color, which totally complements these greens.

Actual St. Patrick’s Day was incredibly fun. We had a few events to attend that ended up being only 20 minutes apart, so we hopped back and forth. One was sort of a tribute/memorial concert with lots of bands, and the other was my former Italian teacher’s annual fundraiser wherein he and a talented cast sing, dance, and tell jokes and have a merry old time. And I love that my Italian teacher is Irish. 🙂

It’s not a Guinness, but it was damn good.

With someone behind Lenny cracking me up…

And with my Sicilian leprechaun …

Goorin Bros hat, by the way. Love it.

The adorable Mr. Caffrey

Ed politely admiring my handiwork…

I’m just going to stand here while you flap your arms…

As always, there’s so much more going on. I had the pleasure of joining in on Lauren/Lladybird’s Mood meetup on the 9th, and had a blast. Meg from Mood welcomed us like royalty and even posted a pic of us on Mood’s Twitter feed. You’ve probably seen this, but here it is again:

Lots of Mood haul pics and other randomness as always on my Instagram.

Great synopses of the day by Gaby, Lisette, Allie, Charlotte, Nettie, and of course the guest of honor herself, Lauren. I believe that Gaby’s, Allie’s, and Lauren’s have a fairly comprehensive list of attendees’ blog links as well. These are the recaps I’ve spotted so far, and I don’t have much to add to their assessment other than to exclaim, “What an incredible bunch of blogoddesses!!” I’m not usually one to hang out with a gaggle of women, but maybe I’ve been wrong. Everyone was so bright and interesting–and, according to Charlotte, no visible pores. Bonus. And thanks ever so much to Lee and Sonja for finding me when I was a little lost sheep, all carried away by the wonders of Mood, oblivious to eighteen people leaving en masse.

Definitely. Just looked up the envelope, and under view A, which is the cardigan, it suggests “Stretch knits only–cotton interlock, lightweight double knits, two-way stretch, novelty knit fabrics”. I used a light polyester knit that came in a Fabric Mart mystery bundle. (Yay, free cardi.) This would be perfect for what you need. Plus, the rest of the pattern looks really cool. It has great PR reviews. The blouse is way cute. Have fun, and I’m looking forward to your post.

Oh, Marrie, that’s where we utterly failed photowise. I wore it three different days, with three different pairs of footwear–grey ankle boots once, black ankle boots once, and some cute little green Clark’s booties on St. Pat’s Day. But it wasn’t so much the shoes as it was the pea green tights I wore with this ensemble. I felt even more festive with green legs. Can’t believe we didn’t get one shot of them! Thanks for checking in.

It was an excellent synopsis–of how we weren’t even remotely the most interesting part of your day (but we’re pretty), of sake and surviving hibachi restaurants, and of makeshift Manhattans. I’m not charitable–you’re just a freakin’ great writer. I’d link to your synopsis anytime.